Ezra-Oscar Franchi, Arts & Entertainment Editor 

In mid-January, hockey star Jesse Kortuem shocked the internet after posting a lengthy, emotional coming-out post on Facebook—and the Canadian sports romance Heated Rivalry might deserve some credit. 

Though it’s been available to stream on HBO Max since November, the MLM sports romance has recently picked up steam following Jesse Kortuem’s post, prompting queers all over the internet to remind people that representation matters. 

Originally based on the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry is a soft rivals-to-lovers story that follows two hockey players—Ilya Rozanov, a Russian, and Shane Hollander, a Canadian—through their journeys with identity and acceptance in a hyper-masculine world, where being gay isn’t the safest. 

We’ve fawned over other gay romance series before. Take Heartstopper, for example, which depicted the blossoming romance of two boys in high school as they explored their queerness and their first relationship. While Heartstopper was popular, it left many newly-adult viewers feeling underrepresented; after all, Heartstopper focused on young romances, and many queer people don’t come out until later in their adult life. While it’s comforting and even healing to see young queer romances represented, we’re still in dire need of more LGBTQ+ representation for all age groups, not to mention in various careers. 

The adult world is a lot different than high school, where you might have more room for exploration and growth. Once you’re in the big leagues, though (like our two hockey stars), it’s not easy to feel comfortable being out.  

In his Facebook post, Jesse Kortuem says he recently felt a “spark” ignite inside him, crediting “Heated Rivalry” for helping him realize it was time to share his journey. 

Kortuem considers hockey a “tough and masculine sport,” and since he was a teenager, he felt that he had to hide his true identity on the ice. 

“I loved the game, but I lived with a persistent fear,” Kortuem professed. “Coming out in the 2000s did not feel like an option, especially with so little positive representation in the media at the time and it would have been a social disaster at such a large high school.” 

Kortuem recognizes that if he had come out to his friends and teammates, his whole life could have been turned upside-down.  

“I spent every week in a locker room with guys I respected,” Kortuem explained, “Yet I still did not feel safe enough to tell them who I truly was.” 

This is the unfortunate reality for many gay men in hyper-masculine spaces. Whether it’s a career or a hobby, coming out is still a socially ostracizing and even dangerous process. Heated Rivalry showcases the uncomfortable reality of coming out and the beautiful, emotional journey that follows. 

Keep in mind, though, the series isn’t just focused on a coming-out story; in fact, Ilya Rozanov is wonderfully comfortable in his bisexuality. Heated Rivalry is, very importantly, rivals-to-lovers. They’re in it to win it. 

The show isn’t just making waves for its compelling plot, but also for its visuals. Notably, the series was filmed on a low budget, so while there aren’t actually many scenes filmed in the rink, there are plenty of moody, sexy shots in…other settings (cough, the bedroom, cough). 

While it’s unclear when the next season will premiere, don’t worry: actor Connor Storrie has confirmed that season two is in the works.  

So, if you needed an excuse to finally watch this emotional, sexy MLM series, cozy up this snowy weekend and binge, binge, binge! You’ll find a worthwhile plot and a brand-new perspective. 

Headline image from Collider.